Author Archives: Ananda Vrindavan Dasi

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 23 September 2012, Durban, South Africa, Radhastami Lecture) Wherever in this world there were great manifestations of love between Radha and Krsna, not only was it an extraordinary experience for those who were present there, but actually that entire place also became transformed. Various places in Vrindavan, where Radha and Krsna had […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 April 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture) When we surrender, Krsna reciprocates by revealing knowledge. At that stage, knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam is no longer just theoretical. Now when we read through it and we can go, ‘Okay, seven oceans containing: salty water, sugar-cane juice, liquor, clarified butter, milk, emulsified yogurt […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 October 2011, Govinda Valley, Australia, Faith Retreat – Introduction) It is so nice to be focusing on Krsna, whether it is through his holy name, through some Krsna katha or whether it is through serving the vaisnavas. These are like the main ingredients of our Krsna consciousness. Especially by serving the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2011, Berlin, Germany, Radhastami, Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi Lila 142-145) What an amazing arrangement the spiritual world is! Akhila rasamrita murti – Krsna, as the complete reservoir of all pleasure or the complete embodiment of rasa, is having that eternal exchange with his devotees, and ultimately all are serving Radha and […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2011, Berlin, Germany, Radhastami, Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi Lila 142-145) I like the comparison of the love of Srimati Radharani to a mirror which reflects the qualities of Krsna – as she discovers more and more qualities of Krsna, her love is just responding to those qualities. In this way, the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 July 2014, Serbia, Summer Camp, Caitanya Candramrta Seminar Part 1) Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Chapter 1, Verse 7 “What benefit did the world attain when Lord Rama, Lord Nrsimha and many other incarnations of Godhead killed so many raksasas and daitya demons? How important is it that Lord Kapila and […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 July 2014, Serbia, Summer Camp, Caitanya Candramrta Seminar Part 1) Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Chapter 1, Verse 6 “When Lord Gauracandra’s devotees, who are worshiped even by the demigods, drink the wonderfully sweet nectar of bliss of pure love of God that flows from the lotus flower of Lord Gauracandra’s […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 07 July 2014, Serbia, Summer Camp, Caitanya Candramrta Seminar Part 1) Sri Caitanya-candramrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Chapter 1, Verse 4:  “Let us glorify the boundlessly merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead, the prince of Vrindavan. To taste the intoxicating, sweet waves of the nectar of the transcendental love for Krsna, as well as […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-Lila 8.31) Our position is that we cannot see Krsna; we forget him all the time and don’t see him, and then we think, ‘Oh, Krsna, why have you left me alone?!’ Come on! The day you came to the material world, Krsna came […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 8.31) Sometimes, we have seen that people have discussed the svarupa of Srila Prabhupada, of what it might be, and some have suggested that it might be sakhya-rasa (friendship with Krsna), and even some publications have made points about it. Whatever that […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 July 2013, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.26) Question: In the pastime where Lord Caitanya was saying to Advaita Acarya that he has won over Advaita because he was seeing the Deity constantly and Advaita Acarya was not (as Advaita was turning his back while circumambulating the Deity of Jagannatha), there […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 May 2014, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 8.31) When we just start reading alone, without the guidance of a spiritual master, there is a good chance that we can become confused therefore, ultimately we must hear from the vaisnavas. Sometimes this question was asked to Srila Prabhupada, ‘Is it […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) At every moment, we are drowning in mercy – this is an amazing Movement! Our relationship is centered solely around Krsna and is meant to deal with the Absolute Truth, as it is presented in the scripture and in accordance with kala, desha, patra […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) When we come together once a year, that is valuable! At least for one thing – we are still here! Time is passing, a year has passed – what has happened!? In that year, we all have developed – some have become more learned […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) Who can say that they understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Even Lord Brahma was praying for 60 000 years to the dust of the feet of the gopis, just trying to understand the residents of Vrindavan. So, who can understand Krsna by a […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) I mentioned before that in my early spiritual life there was a devotee named Maha Virya who helped me a lot at that time. Over the years, I completely lost touch with him but then someone found out his phone number. So I called […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) Focus of purpose is what I was thinking about and that is what I would like you to think about. What is your purpose? I am not going to carry people and sort of micromanage their life. Of course, if you want to ask about […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 April 2014, Radhadesh, Belgium, Caitanya Caritamrta Lecture) How far does the mercy of Lord Caitanya extend? It is said that it is the smile of the Lord that awoke the desire for spiritual life in the heart of the living beings. So, it is not just all due to our own […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.14) It is said that when the yugas are changing, that first there is a sandhya or a joint period. So the first part of the Kali yuga is also the sandhya – the joint period – and it is within that sandhya that the […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47)   Krsna who is so kind that when the living being turns away from him, Krsna says, ‘Ok, but I won’t let you go alone!’ Our bhakta in his Hansel and Gretel play opened up as a spirit soul wanting to go to the material […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 10 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.3.14) This movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a mercy movement but we have to take it seriously; we have to take responsibility. A devotee has to take responsibility for what he does wrong and then correct it. We can’t just say, ‘Oh, these things are […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47) When Krsna appears in the material world, he appears in his own original form, and not a temporary form that is accepted of the material nature. Like these bodies we have, they have nothing to do with us. These bodies are simply made of […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47) How can we understand Krsna, how can we understand that he is so unlimitedly beautiful that he beautifies even the jewels that he wears? We start imagining – imagine how beautiful!  Ha, doctor Frog at work! How can we imagine Krsna, how can we understand Krsna? […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.47) Vaikuntha, the spiritual world, is an abode that is free from anxiety. But as soon as you turn away from Krsna, there is anxiety. Anxiety begins immediately because you don’t know what is going to happen, you have no idea. Anything can happen, at any moment. […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 14 March 2009, Korsnas, Sweden, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.2.15) Question: Are the faults that we see in others simply a reflection of our own faults or is there something else to it? Not always but it can well be. If one is a liberated soul, when one sees faults in others then one sees real […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 March 2012, New York, USA, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila 9.37) Question: Maharaj, you spoke about associating with the mode of goodness and being natural also. Do we do it step-by-step, little-by-little? I am regularly in Germany and in Germany they have the autobahn (highway) with no speed limit. Some years back, they had a […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 30 June 2013, Vrindavana, India, Srila Prabhupada Pastimes Lecture) Question: What is the purpose of group chanting? Obviously when we do things together, it gives us support in different ways – it gives support in a positive way and also in another way like when your mind thinks, ‘Oh, I am so ill […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 19 January 2014, Durban, South Africa, Lecture) We should know that we are never alone – never, ever! We are always with Krsna therefore, every moment must be offered to him – every moment. That is what we have to practice and that is why we have temples because temples are designed […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 13 April 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Srimad Bhagavatam Lecture) Question: Maharaj, can you say a few words on Prabhupada’s mission for the Vedic Planetarium? Well, Srila Prabhupada wanted to construct in Mayapur the temple that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur had predicted – a huge, large temple. In that temple, he wanted to make a […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Radhadesh, Belgium, 10 April 2003, Q&A Session) Question: What happens to an aspiring devotee who may have read Srila Prabhupada’s books, heard his lectures, loves serving and associating with devotees but cannot find a spiritual master on the level of Srila Prabhupada? Srila Prabhupada has said that a disciple should accept a […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, November 2011, Mayapur, India, Caitanya Caritamrta Seminar Part 11) In the presence of guru, we can be focused a lot on what we are getting from guru. But in the absence of guru, we have to start focusing on what we can do for the guru, in the sense of what we have […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Leicester, United Kingdom, Pandava Sena Program) We think that the purpose of life is to enjoy this world because we think that this word is a wonderful playground and we are all meant to have a wonderful time. But this material world is not the place to enjoy. Heard of Mr Bean? […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Kirtan evening) By his kind mercy, Krsna has revealed himself in his holy name. Although we cannot see Krsna face to face – other than in his Deity form – whenever we chant the holy name, wherever we are, in any place, any condition of life, Krsna is manifest! […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 October 2013, Melbourne, Australia, Lecture) Success in spiritual life depends on how much faith you can develop in Srila Prabhupada. That is really what it means – there is no doubt about it. That is the secret to our success. The strength of our movement, the backbone of this movement, is how […]

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 01 March 2012, New York, USA, Lecture) Everything is bound by time but the maha-mantra is eternal. So many things change in our life – it’s just amazing what can change – but somehow or other, this chanting never changes. It is constant because the name is Krsna himself who descends from […]